20 per cent rise in number of people killed on Derbyshire’s roads

Michael Broomhead

The number of people killed on Derbyshire’s roads has risen by just over 20 per cent in the last year, according to a new report.

In the 12 months to October, 34 people lost their lives in collisions on the county’s highways – compared with 28 the previous year.

A spokesman for Derby and Derbyshire Road Safety Partnership – which is made up of organisations including local councils and the police – said: “We’re saddened by the recent rise in the number of people killed on our roads. We work hard to cut the number of deaths and injuries but we know we’ve still got work to do.

“The number of casualties on our roads in 2013 was at the lowest level for 30 years and we hope our efforts during the coming months will bring about an improvement. As always we’re encouraging motorists to help us by driving according to the conditions and at a sensible speed.”

The spokesman added: “It’s difficult to say precisely what has caused the recent rise in road deaths. A huge range of factors can affect the year on year figures including the weather, traffic volumes and driver behaviour.”

The figures were revealed in a report by Derbyshire Police and Crime Commissioner, Alan Charles.

Derbyshire’s Chief Constable, Mick Creedon, told the report he considered the number of fatalities to be “of concern”.

In October, police launched a crackdown on speeding on more than 100 notorious roads across Derbyshire.

They used a number of methods – including hand-held laser guns and cameras – to detect the crime on 110 routes.